Shotter, hitter, serial killer! There couldn’t be a more definitive opener for this three-disc set of hardstep monsters than Pendulum & Fresh’s “Tarantula,” where $pyda and Tenor Fly promise to visit the grave they put you in-if only to kick dirt on it, hug your mama, and hit on your sister. Similar aggression from Dilinja, Total Science, and Shy FX jabs at skanky vibes from Top Cat’s “Original Ses (Police in Helicopter)” to the Logistics remix of Leviticus’ “Big, Bad & Heavy.” One gripe: Hype’s turntablism and ID’ing ruins out-of-place cuts like Cyantific’s “Don‘t Follow,” which probably sound less ridiculous on the dancefloor at his Fabric residency than they do on this piece of plastic.
TC1 & Stress Level Satisfy (Remix)
TC1 & Stress Level redesign Chris SU’s soulful amen smasher “Satisfy” into a more melodic wavy roller, while keeping all the vocal and techy highlights intact. The flip, “Sonar Heat,” comes on even stronger with its Artificial Intelligence-inspired bassline, wispy vocals and chunky layers of beats. Fans of Hospital and Liquid V will not be disappointed.
Loer Velocity Loe Noise Reduction
New York MC Loer Velocity can kick an intellectual flow or break out the standard ode to weed (“Highed Up!”), but it‘s hard to grasp exactly who this long-time special guest really is. “Industry Standard,” with Oktober, L.I.F.E. Long and Vast Aire, is the highlight here, but Loer graces his own track for barely a minute. Alone, “Touch Me Not” proves his laid-back phrasing works best on the choruses; a few zingers can‘t save the verses, but the surreal storyteller “Dreamscape” comes late and proves Loer could grow into an American Slick Rick with time.
Tom Vek We Have Sound
We Americans had our chance at early ‘80s dance rock already and nobody (save maybe the DFA) came close to Talking Heads or Gang of Four. Now it‘s Tom Vek‘s turn, and the one-Englishman band supports his half-yelped deadpan vocals with a powerful, straight-ahead rhythmic bash. “If You Want” rocks snappy bass, cowbells, claps and metronomic guitars, while rusty drum machines and keyboard squawks supplement the twangy guitar lines of “That Can Be Arranged.” The obligatory disco-rock of “I Ain‘t Saying My Goodbyes” works fine, and if Vek switches up his vocal style more, he should be one to watch.
Lo-Tek Hi-Fi Mixed Blessings
Fuck grime. Lo-Tek Hi-Fi don‘t cater to trends; the sound-system stylee they display on Mixed Blessings is much more a case of hardcore electro-ragga originality than garage-meets-crunk predictability. Imagine T.O.K. under ‘nuff Guinness and a considerable amount of hashish spliffs, and that‘s the Lo-Tek vibe, innit? This UK bashment music is just as orchestrated and well-arranged as its Jamaican dancehall-pop counterparts (and, like TOK, features a baritone MC), but Lo-Tek-while skilled at hooks, choruses and what-not-eschews obvious commerciality in favor of a much more underground flavor. With all this rude boy attitude going on, you‘d expect Roots Manuva to show up, which he does on “Move Ya Ting.” But this is Lo-Tek‘s show, and they run it red enough to request many rewinds.
Various Artists From Monument to Masses:Schools of Thought Contend
Post-rock has long been criticized for a certain intellectual firmness. Yet what differentiates the great bands is the ability to balance the right and left lobes, thus yielding head-nodding tunes with thought provoking results. Like former Merck stars Tiki Obmar or Brooklyn’s Turing Machine, the Bay area trio From Monument to Masses has achieved this equilibrium with a sturdy mix of elaborate instrumentation and politically-inspired samples. Schools of Thought Contend offers two new tracks but more importantly includes 13 remixes more varied than a post-graduate curriculum. From Thunderbirds Are Now!’s restrained redux of “The Quiet Before” to the frenetic breakbeat treatment of “Old Robes” by Antimc, Schools of Thought Contend proves that for all of post-rock’s supposed inflexibility a lot can be shaped from its parts.
Kudu Death Of A Party
From No Wave and East Village punk to electro and freestyle, Kudu captures the spirit of an entire lifetime of Big Apple radio with unflinching style, energy and innovation. Vocalist Sylvia Gordon is an icon in the making, a sassy combination of Siouxsie Sioux and Poly Styrene had they been part of a Nublu scene once home to Norah Jones and Brazilian Girls. Her rich, voguish delivery fits perfectly into a minimal yet surprisingly chunky mix of keys, percussion and production. Death of A Party is like packing a single bag for an entire week‘s vacation. Bring a few winning outfits, creatively rearrange, and you‘re good to go.
Kerri Chandler Bar A Thym
This is one of the records of the year for me. The way Kerri Chandler EQs the kick drum and puts the bassline on top is just state of the art! His keyboard licks on this piece are unmistakable. This record hits everybody, and is much more than mere techno or house!
Charlie Notfonk Fonk Stakes
Four tracks ranging between cut-up madness and shuffled sawtooth funk. The tracks rumble along funny and floundering without ever getting foolish or silly; over and over little melodies and samples show up to save the listener from getting bored. It reminds me strongly of old Auftrieb records.
S-Max Wake Up To Spw-Like Perfection EP
S-max plays around with a Lady Sovereign-type vocal sample, which comes off really soulfully! The tracks are relaxed and housey but at the same time melodic in a trippy way.
